Cutting of material for joining with other materials is commonly performed in the manufacturing of articles, such as footwear and apparel. However, the cutting of a material may damage the material, such as if there are graphical elements applied to a surface contacted by a cutting surface. Further, when coupling the cut material with another material, several defects may be introduced in the bonding processes. For example, the cut material may dimensionally curve as a result of the cutting process, air may be trapped between the cut material and the material to be bonded, and the cut material may come out of alignment while being bonded with the other material.